The northwest corner of Colorado around Gateway is full of breathtaking canyons and marvelous roads to explore.
Woke up this morning to the sun cresting the mesa above the Gateway Canyons Resort. Sitting at the convergence of two canyons, the weathered, vertical walls of the red and brown rock faces provide a spectacular morning vista. We’ve been shacked up in this oasis in northwestern Colorado for the last two days courtesy of
Victory Motorcycles, who invited us to its 2011 press launch. After spending yesterday logging as many miles as possible on the likes of the 2011 Hammer 8-Ball and the striking Cory Ness Cross Country, this morning a group of Victory reps, motojournalists and the good people behind the Road 2 A Cure hit the highway to make the pilgrimage to
Sturgis.
If it weren’t for John Hendricks of
The Discovery Channel fame dropping a boatload of cash to build the Gateway Colorado Auto Museum and the surrounding resort and spa, you might otherwise blink and miss the tiny town of Gateway. An old red Sinclair sign with a green dinosaur on it sitting at the edge of town is the ghost of a gas station overrun by weeds and brush. Though our stay has been filled with hospitality, we’re all eager to ride again as the 70th anniversary of the Black Hills Rally beckons two states away.
The wide bands of a rainbow fill the sky above the Gateway Canyons Resort in Colorado, the starting point for our trek to Sturgis.
The first stretch is a 50-mile run on Highway 141 to Grand Junction, Colorado in order to connect to Interstate 70. Yellow sunflowers fed by summer storms dot the roadway as the strip winds through chiseled canyons. It is the type of ride that is best savored slowly, but it’s hard to resist the road’s bends and sweepers. The narrow chasm opens up to reveal a fertile valley of green pastures and stables of regal horses. An old stone dwelling just off the road has one rock face that hasn’t fallen to the constants of time and weather. I’m onboard the 2011 Victory Vision 8-Ball and the bike is cutting smooth lines through the turns. A mountain goat a few feet off the road shows no fear as I roll by but serves as a warning to be on my game and to keep my speed down.
Grand Junction is brown and dry compared to the colorful canyons I’ve just come from. The air is arid and loose sand blows across the roadway. Railways with stationary engines and cars sit on tracks that parallel the interstate. The area harbors many mines, from gold to other precious ores. The landscape is scenic but rugged and only provides a living for those willing to sacrifice. The names of towns are contrite and no-nonsense – Rifle, Parachute and Silt. The speed limit is 75 but traffic is flowing at 80 to 85 which allow us to make good time.
The wide valley begins to narrow and the mountains in the distance soon close in on the road. Just when you think the views around Gateway couldn’t be beat, a ribbon of road cuts through another incredible canyon highlighted by green groves of tall pines. The stretch parallels a murky brown river teaming with big blue rafts shooting down its rapids.
Fill 'er up? I don't think so. The only thing flowing out of this old station is dust.
Beyond the canyon, the land opens up again. Jagged peaks begin to fill the horizon. It’s not long before the road begins to climb those mountains. The forests thicken and rugged pillars jut out above the treeline as we get the first real feel of the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Grand lodge-style homes and multi-story resorts begin to fill the mountainside as we climb into Vail. The Vision’s Freedom 106 is powering up the climbs but requires a little more throttle than before due to the altitudes we’re reaching. It still is leaving every car and truck in its wake as the combination of steep grade and thin air take its toll on their engines. Soon we crest the Vail Pass, 10,662 feet in elevation. This doesn’t deter the scores of bicyclists who pedal quickly in air that would have me gasping to walk at a fast pace.
Interstate 70 is rife with thru-ways that cut through mountainsides, but soon we enter the longest tunnel I’ve ever ridden through. The Johnson Tunnel is an incredible feat of engineering and the way it supports the weight of a mountain both astounds and frightens. The speed limit is 50 mph but a big rig is hauling in the inside line so I rev up to get past him instead of sitting blindly beside him. I’ve been inside a mountain for what seems like minutes before a pinpoint of light in the distance lets me know I’m almost out.
Before too long the interstate begins to descend at five to six-percent grades and signs warn trucks to gear down. The mountains finally yield to a great plain as the metropolis of Denver sprawls out as far as the eye can see. In the
Meet Billy Goat Gruff. It didn't seem to mind that we were passing through the neighborhood but kept a wary eye on us nonetheless.
distance, a monstrous thunderhead looms in the distance, its white pillars stretching to the upper stratosphere like the plumes of an atomic explosion. The road is heading straight toward it and I fear that its wrath lies between us and our night’s destination, Fort Collins.
Before I start layering on the rain gear, the turnoff for Interstate 25 changes our direction 90 degrees and the storm I feared now sits off to the east. It’s been a long day and the speed limit picks up to 75 mph again so we pick up the pace. The road way is wet and the air is filled with that earthy post-rain smell. Fingers of sunlight are shooting through the clouds above the peaks of the Rockies to our left while the white billows of the thunderstorm are now orange-hued in the setting sun. It has been a 350-mile day made longer by numerous photo stops at scenic points along the way. About 28 miles out of Fort Collins, flashing road signs warn motorcyclists not to change lanes because of uneven lanes ahead. The road entering Fort Collins is in the same condition, so any motorcyclists on their way to Sturgis via Interstate 25 through Colorado, take note. A trip to Estes Park and then the final push to Sturgis is in store so it’s going to be another long day and even though I know I need to go to bed I’m already restless thinking about tomorrow.
